When asking for ideas of things to do in Tennessee, one of the most common suggestions we received was to go see the Peabody Ducks at the Peabody Memphis hotel.
Shae and I had never heard of this experience before, so when we saw that it’s a parade where ducks walk up a red carpet to a fountain in the middle of a hotel’s lobby, we knew we had to check it out!
The Peabody duck march happens at 11am every day, but you’ll want to get there much earlier to get a seat, especially if you’re visiting during peak tourist season.
We visited on December 11, 2019, so a couple of weeks before Christmas. There were quite a few people there, but I imagine it gets far more packed over the following days and during Thanksgiving week a couple of weeks before.
The travertine fountain is in the middle of the hotel, with tables and chairs set up all around. A red carpet leads from the elevator to the fountain, with the red carpet being roped off to form Duckling Lane. Duckling Lane is reserved for children, but adults are allowed to stand there provided they’re not taking up spaces where children could be.
That’s the only place where you’re allowed to stand though (other than up on the balcony). The hotel is very strict about people not standing around the fountain which was nice as it meant everyone sitting at the tables was able to get a good view of the event.
Shae and I sat separately so that we could get alternative views of the duck parade. I was at a table near the fountain, while Shae managed to grab a spot on Duckling Lane seeing as there were only a few kids in attendance that day due to it being a school day before the holidays.
As you can see in the photo below, you can also watch the ducks from the balcony on the second floor. The side of the balcony you can see in the photo below is the best side to be on as it means you’ll get to see the ducks leaving the elevator and waddling up to the fountain.
The duck parade is overseen by Doug the Duckmaster. Just before 11am he went to collect the ducks from the Duck Palace on the Peabody Memphis’s roof. They make the journey from the roof to the lobby in the elevator which has some cute art adorning the floor.
The duck march happened incredibly quickly after that. Apparently they used to hold the ducks in the elevator for a few moments before setting them off to the fountain, but during our visit the elevator doors opened and the ducks went straight to the fountain. The parade therefore lasted about 10 seconds.
It all happened so quickly that Shae wasn’t able to grab any photos with her good camera as she was filming it with her phone. I also managed to grab a video of the duck march on my phone:
Once the Peabody Duck march is over, visitors are welcome to head over to the fountain to see the ducks close up. The ducks didn’t seem at all fazed by the attention seeing as it’s just part of their daily routine.
We were also treated to a choir singing Christmas songs next to the Peabody Memphis’s beautiful – and enormous! – Christmas tree.
If you need some kind of memorabilia to commemorate your visit, the hotel has a gift shop containing all kinds of duck-themed items.
Final Thoughts
We like doing quirky things on our 50 state road trip and watching ducks run into a hotel lobby’s fountain is pretty quirky! I certainly wouldn’t base an entire trip around going to watch the Peabody Duck march, but if you’re in Memphis, TN anyway then it’s worth checking out for the experience.
Address
The Peabody Memphis, 118 S 2nd St, Memphis, TN 38103
The whole officialness of it makes it so funny.
Very true!